The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-02

The river-and l kinder thought o. Johnny,
and how he'd miss 'em! Maybe now, we'd
be in the way eff he WIS sicks"
The father, evidently touched not only by
this pathetic picture of Johnny's deprivation,
but by the considerate delicacy of the speaker,
hastened to assure him that Johnny was better
and that 'little fun might 1iven him up"
Whereupon Dick arose, shook himself, and
saying, "rm ready. Lead the way, Old Man;
here goes" himself led the way with leap,
a characteristic howl, and darted out into the
night. As he passed through the outer room
he caught up a blazing brand from the hearth.
The action was repeated by the rest of the
PARTY, closely following and elbowing each
other, and before the astonished proprietor of
Thompsons grocery was aware of the inten-
ton OF his guests, the room was deserted.
The night was pitchy dark. In the first
gust of wind their temporary torches were
extinguished, and only the red brands dane
ing and fitting in the gloom like drunken
will -'o-the-wisps indicated their whereabouts.
Their way led up Pine Tree canyon, at the
head of which broad low, bark thatched
cabin burrowed in the mountain side. 1t
was the home of the Old Man, and the en-
trance to the tunnel in which he worked
when he worked at all. Here the crowd
paused for moment, out of delicate defer
ence to their host, who came up painting in
the rear.
"P'r'aps ye'd better hold on second out
yer, whilst l go in and see thet things is all
right" said the Old Man, with an indiffer-
ence be was far from feeling. The sugges-
tion was graciously accepted, the door opened
and closed ON the host, and the crowd, lean
ing their backs against the wall and COVER
ing under the caves, waited and listened
For few moments there was no sound but
the dripping of water from the caves, and the
stir and rustic of wrestling boughs above
them. Then the men became uneasy, and
whispered suggestion and suspicion passed
from the one to the other. "R reckon she's
caved in his head the first Iick!n "Decoyed
him inter the tunnel and barred him up,
likely" ''Got him down and sittin' on him. "
"Probly bilin suthin to heaye Oil US; stand
clear the door, boys!" For just then the
| latch clicked, the door slowly opened, and a
voice said, ''Come in out O. the wet"
The voice was neither that of the Old Man
nor of his wife. 1t was the voice of a small
boy, its weak treble broken by that prefer
natural hoarseness which only vagabondage
| and the habit of premature self assertion can
| give. 1t was the face of a small boy that
looked up at theirs-a face that might have
been pretty and even refined but that it was
darkened by evil knowledge from within and
dirt and hard experience from without. He
had a blanket around his shoulders and had
evidently just risen from his bed, Come
in,n he repeated, ''and don't make no noise.
The Old Mans in there talking to mar he
continued, pointing to an adjacent room
which seemed to be kitchen, from which the
Old Mans voice came in deprecating accents
LET me be-" he added, querulously, to Dicl
Bullen, who had caught him up, blanket ant
all, and was affecting to toss him into tbs
fire, ''let go O me, you id old fool, dye "
hear?n
Thus adjured, Dick Bullen lowered Johnny
to the ground with smothered laugh while
the men, entering quietly, ranged themselve
around long table of rough board
which occupied the center Of tbs
room. Johnny then gravely pro
ceeded to a cupboard and brought out severa
articles which he deposited on the table
"Thar's whisky. And crackers And rec
heronS. And cheese He took bite of th
latter on his way to the table. "And sugar
He scooped up mouthful en- route with
small and very dirty hand. "And terbacker
Thars dried appils, too, on the shelf, but
don't admire em. Appils is swellin. Thar,
he concluded, "now wade in, and don't b
afeard. Idon't mind the old woman Sh
don't b'long to me. S'long."
He had stepped to the threshold of smal
room, scarcely larger than a closet, and hold
ing in its dim recess a small bed. He stoo
there moment looking at the company, hi
bare feet peeping from the blanket, ant
nodded.
"Hello, Johnnyl You aint goin' to turn il
agin, are yea" said Dick
Eyes, I are" responded Johnny, decidedly
"Why, wot's up, old fellow"
"Tm sick"
"How sick?"
Give got FEWER. And chilblains. An
roomatiz," returned Johnny, and vanishe
within. After moments pause be added i
the dark, apparently from under the be
clothes, "And biles."
There was an embarrassing silence. Th
men looked at each other, and at the fire
Even with the appetizing banquet befor
them it seemed as if they might again fa
into the dependency of Thompson's grocery
when the voice of the Old Man, incautiousl
lifted, came deprecatingly from the kitcher
"Certainlyi Thet's so. In course they il
A gang o lazy, drunken loafers, and that q
Dick Bullen's the ornariest of all. Didn
hev no more sabe than to come round va
with sickness III the house and no provision
Thet's what said. 'Bullen,' sez l, it's Graz